There is a wave of happiness at Institute of Medical Science, Banaras Hindu University (IMS-BHU) to know that the Union Cabinet has approved the proposal for creation of National Centre of Ageing (NCA) under National Programme for Health Care of the Elderly (NPHCE) at IMS-BHU. The same was communicated by a letter by Union Health Minister to Rajya Sabha MP Seema Dwivedi who has supported the proposal of creation of NCA at BHU.
Nodal officer of NPHCE and founder Head of Geriatrics Department, IMS-BHU, Prof Anup Singh said that it is a matter of great pride and satisfaction to get this centre for IMS. He thanked the prime minister, union health minister and MP Seema Dwivedi and BHU administration for the same. He added that it’s the vision of the PM to strengthen geriatric healthcare facilities for the elderly and to make them ‘atmnirbhar’ for health needs. The Ayushmann Bharat scheme will further strengthen it. Prof Singh said that as the geriatric population is increasing due to increased longevity so better health services are the challenges in future. “From life expectancy of 32 years in 1947 it has now increased to 70 years in 2021. It’s estimated that elderly population will double by 2050. The central government has acknowledged this and started various programmes dedicated to elderly. The NPHCE is one of them and IMS-BHU was designated as a regional geriatric centre and Prof Anup Singh is its nodal officer in BHU. Under leadership of Prof Anup Singh, the Department of Geriatric Medicine was created in 2018 and within one year MD Geriatric course was started.The department has shown exponential growth in all areas of patient care, research and academics. “Acknowledging our efforts to develop geriatric facility at IMS-BHU and need of a one point care facility for geriatric patients, the Union Health Minister approved our pending proposal of upgradation of Regional Geriatric Centre to 200-bed NCA under NPHCE,” he said.
According to him, as per operational guidelines of NPHCE, the NCA will be a multi-storey building with OPD of multidisciplinary geriatric sub-specialties apart from special clinics like arthritis clinic, memory clinic etc, provision of elective surgery with modular operation theatre, separate diagnostic and radiological facility, rehabilitation services and day care and intensive care and private ward. Besides, the centre will help in capacity building and human resources development in field of geriatrics, post graduate MD geriatric seats will be increased from 3 to 15 with the increase in seats of senior residents and consultants and research in the field of geriatric and making guidelines for treatment specific for elderly.
“To develop a better healthcare system for elderly is the focus area of the PM and the creation of such a one point care facility for making the elderly self-reliant will be a boon for geriatric patients of UP and adjoining states,” Prof Singh said.